Side bearing for railway car bodies



Oct. 20, 1942. H. H. SHAFFER SIDE BEARING FOR RAILWAY CAR BODIES Filed Sept. 30, 1941 INVENTOR.

Patented Oct. 20, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,299,600 SIDE BEARING FOR RAILWAY CAR BODIES Harvey H. Shaffer, Berwick. Pa. Application September so, 1941, Serial No. 413,066

2 Claims. (01. 308-138) This invention relates to a side bearing for,

the bodies of railway cars, it being designed primarily for use where'adjustable center plates are employed. One type of center plate is disclosed in my Patent tember 2, 1941.

In railway car construction it is essential that side bearings be located between the car body and the end portion of the bolster so as to afford wiping contact between the relatively movable parts. Where an adjustable central bearing is used as shown for example in my-patent referred to, it is essential that adjustable side bearings also be used. a

The present invention has for an object the provision of a side bearing which is simple in construction and can be readily adjusted to compensate for variations in the distance between the bolster and the car body.

Another object is to provide a side bearing utilizing a wear plate of very hard metal which can be applied readily in any predetermined position on the side bearing so that the wear plate will be supported in operative position when the bearing is adjusted to the car body.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists of certain novel details of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter more fully described and pointed out in the claims, it being understood that changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit of the invention as claimed.

In the accompanying drawing the preferred form of the invention has been shown.

In said drawing Figure l is a top plan view of a portion of a bolster equipped with one of the side bearings constituting the present invention.

Figure 2 is a vertical longitudinal section through a portion of the bolster and showing the bearing partly in elevation and partly in section.

Figure 3 is an enlarged vertical transverse section through a portion of the bolster and showing the bearing partly in section and partly in elevation.

Referring to the figures by characters of reference, l designates a portion of a bolster having an opening 2 in the top thereof and formed on the bolster at the sides of this opening are oppositely disposed brackets 3. Extending downwardly into the upper end of each bracket at that side thereof nearest the opening 2 is a re- No. 2,254,831, issued on Sepcess 4 forming a rectangular socket, the two sockets being oppositely disposed as shown.

The siderbearing comprises a one-piece body 5 the length of which is slightly less than the distance between the opposed brackets 3 and this body, which is cruciform in cross-section, is formed with coaxial'studs 6 projecting from the respective ends thereof. Each stud is rectangular in transverse contour and is proportioned to fit snugly in one of the sockets 4. Thus when both studs are seated in their sockets, the body 5 will be firmly supported and also held against rotation,

The radial members of the cruciform body have been indicated at 1, 8, 9 and I0 respectively. The member 1 is extended a shorter distance from body 5 than the member 8 and these two members are oppositely disposed. The member 9 is extended a longer distance from the body than the member 8 but a shorter distance than the member I0 and these two members 9 and Ill are also oppositely disposed. All of the members are of the same length, being extended from one end to the other of the body and any one of them is adapted to be straddled by a yoke-like shoe H the side portions of which can be detachably joined to the straddled member by means of bolts l2 extending transversely through the member and through the sides of the shoe. The shoe extends throughout the length of the body 5 when in position thereon and the outer portion of the shoe is of increased width and flat so as to provide a firm support for a Wear plate I3 the ends M of which are offset so as to lap the adjacent ends of the shoe as shown particularly in Figure 3. This wear plate is formed of manganese steel or other metal of sufiicient hardness and it is joined to the shoe by welding or otherwise in order to hold the parts fixed relative to each other.

When the shoe is secured to the member I, the sides thereof bear inwardly against the body 5. Each of the members 8, 9 and ID, however, has its sides recessed as at I5 so as to provide lateral shoulders l6 positioned to receive thrust from the sides of the yoke II when said yoke is applied to these members.

When a car body is located at the minimum distance from the bolster I, the side bearings are located with the members 1 extended upwardly so that the wear plates [3 are thus positioned the minimum distances above the level of the bolster. As the distance between the car body and the bolster is increased as a result of adjustment at the center bearing, the side bear ings are adjusted to compensate for the change simply by lifting them out of engagement with the brackets 3, rotating them to bring the wear plate E3 to the desired elevation, and then dropping the studs 6 back into the sockets 4 so that the body will thus be held firmly in place.

Importance is attached to the compact and durable construction of the bearing and to the fact that the shoes can readily be replaced when worn, broken or otherwise damaged. The life of the body 5 is indefinite and the only part requiring occasional replacement is the wear plate l3.

It will be noted that thrust from the wear plate is transmitted directly to th' body along lines extending close to the Vertical sides of, the studs 6 when the bearing is in position so that the Weight of the car body is thusjdistributedevenly at opposite sides of the center of the studs and within the supporting brackets 3.

W at i c aimed 1. i

h omb na ionw h the. olel. i ra way W id bo s er hav n a Open n in h o thereof, br ckets at the si es o th open n d a u ar oc ets. i h bra kets ach o en. at one side and at the top, of a side bearing p si m mber rmin a ne-pi c ody c rm in Q T SS- EC H c ax al tu s exte de in opposite directions from the body and angular in cross-section, aid studs being rempvably seated in the respective sockets and held by the walls of the sockets against rotation, the members of the body being of difierent lengths and all of them being extended from one side to the other of the body, a yoke coextensive in length with the body, a wear plate carried by the yoke, and means for detachably connecting said yoke to the free end of any one of the members of the body, said yoke being positioned astride the member to which it is attached and all of said members including means for receiving thrust from the sides of the yoke and along planes parallel with the corresponding sides of the studs.

'"2. The combination with a member cruciform in cross-section with the radial portions extending different distances from the center of said member, there being a thrust-receiving surface at each side of each radial portion, of a yoke straddling one of said radial portions and having terminals engaging the thrust-receiving surfaces thereof, saidyoke being enlarged laterally beyond the radial portion to which it is attached, means extending transversely through the yoke and the radial portion engaged thereby for fastening the yoke to said portion, and a wear plate joined, to the outermost portion of the yoke, said wear Plate having ofiset ends lapping the ends of the yoke.

HARVEY H. SHAFFER. 

